The NHS has warned UK patients taking a commonly prescribed medicine to seek emergency medical attention if they notice any of three specific symptoms.
These may indicate serious complications due to the consumption of dapagliflozin.
Also known by its brand name Forxiga, dapagliflozin is primarily used to treat type 2 diabetes, but it is also prescribed for heart failure and chronic kidney disease.
The exact number of patients receiving dapagliflozin each year in the UK is not available, but it is among the most expensive drugs, with the NHS spending around £300 million a year on it in England alone.
According to Express, dapagliflozin is also available in combination with other diabetes treatments, under brands such as Xigduo (dapagliflozin with metformin) and Qtern (dapagliflozin with saxagliptin).
However, the NHS warns on its website that “like all medicines” dapagliflozin can cause unwanted side effects. They are:
- You have a very dry or sticky mouth, you are very thirsty, you are sleepy or tired, you are not urinating (or very little), and your heart rate is fast – these may indicate dehydration.
- You have a high temperature (or feel hot, cold, or chills), you feel a burning sensation when you urinate, you have pain in your back or side, or blood in your urine – this could be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI).
- You feel severe pain, tenderness, redness or swelling in the groin or perineum accompanied by a high temperature or discomfort – this may be a sign of a serious infection called Fournier’s gangrene.
